Overlap hinge



Sept. l2, 1950 R. E. sLoPA 2,521,756

OVERLAP HINGE Filed NOV. 24, 1947 JNVENTOR. RAME/WZ'. 5L UPA Patented Sept. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT oF-Flce yov'RLAP HN'GE Roberfslopa, yo1iiagi1uiI Appliatin' Nvemher 24, 19.117,""sentirmi1873773`- zelaims.l (cit-lsi-rsi-) This invention relates to 'improvements 'in' an' overlapr hingeand more particularly to ak novel ruggedly constructedhinge ofa type that insures tight sealing `contact between `a door 'and-its related door frame.

Known types-of` hingesl or door mountingsof a kind adapted to urge -a dooryinto"tight`sealing ContactVv with its related door frame embody various and frequentlyI *complicated*l unsightly structures which, in` somel instances, are' notl en`l tirely satisfactory in use'n because lofftheloo'seA ness ein* the hinge-I 'mounting *or* the 'di`tll-tie`s involved inA part replacement The hinge structure disclosedi herein is com cerned generally with' thel't'ypeof-' overlapfhinge structure having manually manipulable means tovadju'st the 'hinge' element supporting the Adoor relative to its mounting -p'la'te so `as'tofma-intain tight sealing yieldable contact between-fthe door and the door frame to compensate-forWearing:of

the' sealing'v gaskets.

It is therefore an object"of=the^present invention to` provide a novellyconstructed `rugged yieldableoverlap hinge.

Anotherl Objectis to p1ovide',-ina liingeistrucu ture, novel features -of construction and assembly which will facilitate part replacement-'without com-plete` dismantling 'of l the `installation. i

Another' object is to 'provide-ea hinge. of-'the characterreferred to Withlnovel meansrto vary made as desired by those skilled in the art, i

without departing from the-present invention andthe purview of thel appended c1aims.-

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 isvv a` horizontal` sectional View, partly broken away;U showing a refrigerator door in closed'position and supporte'cliby a hinge embodying` the structure involved `llfiereinf- Fig-."2 is a elevational-view-'f 'the hingekstructure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantiall'y onfV line' '134-3 ofi Figi v2', andfr'shwing the' door i'rr closed "position:- v

Fig: #lisa sectional detail View similar"to"/Figi vr`5', show ir'ig the'l'dobrL inf-a partially) open positiorii The 'hinge-structure embodying thev features 'of the presentJi'nventiorrv isishown asi applied Vto'a door inountingfor a door, which isparticula-rly adapted'forclosing-an-operiing toI a eliamb'e in -whi'olilit is desired to' maintain* a ypredeter? mined temperature sucli asjior example; acold storage chamber or refrigerator. The door'is ofeonventionaleonstructionand-'is provided with suitable sealing--strips 4-or-`gasle`ts which'l engage thel-faee o-thed'o'or" trame-surrounding the vopen-- ing for establishing #a tight-seal'. Inf order-to maintain? atight seal-'around the-entire opening', the-'l hinge `elements "provided for the mounting off the ldoorneeessarily arev of a compensating typei so-rth'at: the edge of the door along which said hinges are mou'ntedi'may bemcv'edlinwardly towards-@the door frame prgressively" to* compensate fon-any Wear 'fin the sealing strips.

Referring morel particularly to? the disclosure ini" theaccompanying drawing, fthe' do'orf -I I is arranged to `close an* opening `I 2- inf a chamber', whi'clrlopeningmaybesurroundedl bya door framed. It should be-understc)odA at this'- time that'l allffreferenee'fherein toa -doo'rv frar'ne lis inclusiveL of olie marginal area "of the A'chamber Wal'l-surroundingfthe opening'.A The door IIf is mounted to-swing aboutan'axisinto open 'and closedfpositionsi thetaxis'rpreferably being located along one verticaled'ge :ofrthedoort As: shown, suehfpivotal 'mounting ofi theI door' is obtained by the fprovisio'n o'f,A a plurality `of hingesv generally indicatedat-Illf Inthel disclosure only one-suoli hingeisshownfit' beingmnderstood 'that two Aor more may-"be utilized. 'depending upon'` the size and Weight ofl the door'. The hinge E elemerfuzsi are iirmly securedfto one edge of thedoor' Hand to thefaeef-ofy the' door frame I3.' Thebther, or'free"edge'ofthef'door I'I, has mountedthereon a: suitable manually operable'*latchvy mechanism including fat movable dog, I5,4 carried'v on 'the' dooi' which4 cooperates-With a keeper I I5l mounted.- on the; door frame' 'adj acent isaid'. edge: It should be apparent: at" this i time that;` vvhenA the f "doorl is swung intoa. closed-positionfan'd latched; seal ing.v strips .'.JIfL lon the -inside face fof Athedoor are brought'into tightsealing-icontactiwithfthe face of-'the door"y frame so as 'to "hermetic'ally seal the opening. l

provided in the mounting of the door to compensate for such deterioration or wear. To this end, the hinge elements |4 are constructed so as to lbe adjusted manually for the purpose of locating the pivotal axis of the door closer to the door frame so that when the door is in closed position the sealing strips are held in tight sealing contact with the door frame.

The hinge element |4 illustrated in the drawing includes a mounting plate 2| which preferably is substantially rectangular in shape and is provided adjacent one edge and on the outwardly disposed face thereof with a. pair of spaced apart ears 22. The mounting plate is secured to the door frame as by means of screws 23. A link 24, which is in the form of a bell-crank lever, is pivotally mounted at one end between the ears 22, a pivot pin providing a pivotal mounting therefor. wardly from the plate 2| at an angle relative thereto so as to dispose its free end portion or arm 26 in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the mounting plate 2| but spaced therefrom, as best shown. in Fig. 3. A lateral pin 2l is carried in the link 24 midway between its ends as shown, which pin projects outwardly beyond the side faces thereof and is journalled at its ends in spaced lugs 28 extending outwardly from one face of a member 29 which is firmly secured to the edge of the door as by means of screws 3| It should be obvious at this time that the link 24 provides a connection between the member 29 and the mounting plate 2|, and that the said link supports the entire weight of the door Movement of the link relative to the mounting plate 2| is substantially prevented in a manner to be described in detail presently so that movement of the door into open and closed positions is about the pivot [pin 21.

As best illustrated in Fig. 3, the mounting plate 2| is provided with an aperture 32 communicating with an enlarged non-circular recess 33 in its bottom face, which aperture and recess are adapted to receive freely therethrough a tie-bolt 34. When the tie-bolt 34 is inserted through the aperture 32 in the manner illustrated. the noncircular head 35 thereof is snugly embraced in the recess 33 so as to prevent free rotation of said tie-bolt. The tie-bolt extends outwardly from the mounting plate 2| loosely through a bore 36 in the free end portion 26 of the link 24. A compression spring 3l is interposed between the bottom face of the free end portion 26 of the ylink 24 and the opposed face of the mounting plate 2|, said spring being tted over the tie-bolt 34 in the manner illustrated. The free projecting end of the tie-bolt 34 is suitably threaded to receive thereon an adjusting nut 38 and, if desired, a washer 39 may be disposed between the nut 38 and the opposed face of the free end portion 26.

In use, the nut 3S is threaded upon the tie-bolt 34 a distance suilicient to maintain the spring 31 under such compression as to insure a tight sealing contact between the sealing strip l1 and the face of the door frame |3. When so adjusted the door may ibe swung about its pivot v2l into open and closed positions without imparting any displacement movement to the link 24. The spring '3l tends to hold the link 24 substantially iirm so that there is no looseness in the hinge mounting. As the sealing strips Il Wear or otherwise become ineiiicient as lsealing means, the adjusting nut 38 maybe adjusted on the tie.-

This link 24 extends out-` 4 bolt 34 to thereby move the pivot 21 inwardly toward the door frame |3 a distance corresponding to the amount of wear or compression present in the sealing strip. In this manner the edge of the door carrying the hinge elements may be moved progressively inwardly towards the door frame.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in the accompanying drawing and described in detail in the foregoing specication-, it 'should-be `understood that the invention is capable of embodying a wide variety -of modifi-cations in detail structure without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope'of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A compensating hinge for a door comprising a mounting plate adapted to be secured against a wall adjacent a side of a door opening and having ears projecting outwardly from the plate, a second mounting plate adapted to be secured against the edge face of a door at the hinged side thereof and having ears projecting outwardly at right angles to the ears of the first mounting plate when theA door is closed and terminating in spaced relation to the ears of the rst mounting plate, a link pivotally mounted at its outer end between the ears of the first mounting plate and extending diagonally therefrom towards the second mounting plate and terminating in an inner en-d portion constituting an arm disposed substantially parallel to the rst mounting plate, the link being pivotally connected inwardly of said inner end portion to the ears on the second mounting plate, the second mounting plate having swinging movement to opened and closed positions of the door about its pivotal connection Awith the link, a bolt carried by the rst mounting plate at right angles theretoy and extending outwardly therefrom through an opening in the arm of said link, a spring about said bolt between the arm and the i-lrst mounting plate, and a nut upon the outer end portion oi saidbolt for applying pressure to the arm to tilt the link about its pivotal connection with the ears of the first mounting plate and hold the link at an adjusted angle relative to the first mounting plate.

2. A hinge for doors for closing and sealing an opening through a door frame, including a member adapted to be attached to the door, a mounting plate adapted to be attached to the door frame, a link pivotally connected to the member and to the mounting plate and having an arm extending therefrom, a tie-rod loosely connecting the arm and the mounting plate, means on the tie-rod to restrain movement of the arm along the tie-rod in one direction, and resilient means on said tie-rod for urging the arm towards said restraining means to swing the link about its pivotal connection with the mounting plate, said link movement exerting a force on the door adjacent the hinge and in a direction at right angles to the plane of the door when the door is closed.

' ROBERT E. SLOPA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record "in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSL Leonard Jan. 8, 1935 

